The reason you need a replacement option (dental implants, implant-supported bridge, or dentures) is that missing teeth will affect your smile and your ability to chew, as well as contribute to other potential issues. In fact, many people do not realize how important your teeth are for your overall health. For example, a missing tooth may shift your tooth alignment, result in a bad bite, and weaken the structural integrity of your gums and jaw.

The true sign of optimal oral health is when the mouth is free of disease and the masticatory system is balanced. Your masticatory system gives you the ability to chew, swallow and speak. It includes your jaw, teeth, temporomandibular joints, lips, cheeks, muscles, head and neck. Here's how you can ensure optimal oral health and lasting implant success.

If you're missing teeth, or are frustrated with a continuous cycle of expensive dental problems, you're not alone. Millions of people in the United States have lost one or more teeth due to tooth decay, gum disease, or trauma. Millions more feel discouraged with an uphill physical, emotional, and financial battle against their failing dental health.  While there are a number of ways to reinforce failing teeth and replace missing teeth, dental implants often provide the best long-term results and the best quality of life.

Most people probably don’t think that orthodontics (braces) and implants go together, but they can in the right circumstances. Both braces and implants may help prevent tooth decay and gum disease, improve a person’s appearance, and prevent dental injuries. They help build a person’s confidence and improve their smile.

When getting an implant, the key to success is prevention. Therefore, it’s important to know about the possible issues that can make it harder for your implant to last. Knowing how to care for the implant will help ensure its longevity, avoiding disappointment and frustration. While there are many reasons that an implant might fail such as medications, the placement of the implant, and smoking, here are the top three:

If your general dentist has told you that you need your teeth straightened, you probably will be referred to an orthodontist. That is because orthodontists have received education in helping them learn the best outcomes to achieve straighter teeth. They are experts in this area of this practice.

Have you ever considered how much education your implant dentist has? Or how many areas of dentistry they must learn to become proficient? Implant dentistry is considered a specialty area because it requires education in many different disciplines, which include oral surgery, periodontology, prosthodontics, and restorative dentistry.  

Experience is crucial when selecting a dental implant specialist. Lots of dentists today have completed training in dental implantology, but daily practice can be intricate, complex, and unpredictable. That’s why it’s important to choose a dentist with extensive experience performing these procedures, along with a skilled team and the necessary resources to handle any unexpected developments.

It can be easy to cut corners on simple practices, such as flossing or fluoride treatments, just because they feel too time-consuming. But the reality is, taking the time to care for your teeth now can help you avoid the need for implants, root canals, or other expensive treatments in the future.

It often happens so quickly—a sudden fall, sports injury, accident, or trauma. One minute everything is fine and the next, a tooth is damaged beyond repair and needs to be removed. Traditionally, whether with implants or other restorative techniques, the tooth replacement and healing process could take several months. But now there is another option called immediate implants which can speed up the process and restore your smile right away.

"I feel like it is my responsibility to make sure there is good information on the positives and negatives of All-on-4 dental implants and All-on-6. These are meant to inform you, not to alert you."

          Ramsey Amin DDS, FAAID, DABOI/ID